multifamily

adjective

mul·​ti·​fam·​i·​ly ˌməl-tē-ˈfam-lē 

-ˌtī-, 

-ˈfa-mə-lē

: involving or common to more than one family

a multifamily home

In contrast to single-family housing, where residents typically pay directly based on the amount of water used, there are several models for billing multifamily residents …

—Elizabeth A. Wentz et al.

Examples of multifamily in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Last fall, Littleton voters passed a measure that better protects single-family home neighborhoods from multifamily housing projects. —John Aguilar, Denver Post, 16 Mar. 2026

For starters, American zoning tends to prohibit multifamily housing, which is altogether banned in most suburbs. —M. Nolan Gray, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026

Investors are now favoring logistics, multifamily and alternative assets, such as data centers and student housing. —Diana Olick, CNBC, 13 Mar. 2026

Since then, multifamily building permits issued per quarter fell to just 23, compared with an average of 582 per quarter in the seven quarters before rent control was adopted, according to a recent report from the county. —Albert R. Wynn, Baltimore Sun, 12 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1903, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for multifamily

• family
• nonfamily
• stepfamily
• subfamily